Recent Notes on Center School and the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA)

Although no decision has been made yet, the town may decide to submit a new Statement of Interest (SOI) to the MSBA. The MSBA is accepting FY12 SOI’s from now through January 11, 2012. Some brief info about MSBA SOI’s:

• An SOI should be building specific, that is, only one school building can be the subject of an SOI. For example we cannot submit a single SOI for BOTH Center School and Elmwood School. “Districts should submit one SOI per school for each school they believe requires a project with the MBSA. Where applicable, the district can express interest in multiple accelerated repair projects at one school (generally projects for the repair and/or replacement of windows, roofs, boilers, and/or a Science Lab Initiative project). All districts that submit multiple SOIs will be required to select one SOI as its ‘district priority SOI’ for consideration and due diligence efforts by the MSBA.” 
• An SOI cannot propose a specific solution to the problem. The solution will be arrived at after collaborating with the MSBA on the most appropriate educational and cost effective solution. For example we cannot tell the MSBA that the ONLY solution we want is to renovate/rebuild at the Center School site (or any other specific site). The SOI should just state the problem(s), not the solution. 
• The Superintendent must be authorized by both the School Committee and Board of Selectmen before filing an SOI. 
• If Hopkinton submits an SOI and the MSBA approves it, the taxpayers would be asked to fund a new feasibility study at a future town meeting. It is unknown yet if this would be at the May 2012 Annual Town Meeting or at another date. 
• More information from the MSBA about the current SOI process http://www.massschoolbuildings.org/building/prerequisites/SOI_overview and http://www.massschoolbuildings.org/building/prerequisites/SOI_FAQs 
• Read the SOI submitted for Center School in 2007 (one of several SOI’s submitted by Hopkinton in July 2007) at https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxlZHVjYXRlaG9wa2ludG9ufGd4OjJmMGFkM2I5MGI3MmUzODM. This SOI was approved unanimously by the Selectmen (Muriel Kramer, Mary Pratt, Michael Shepard, Brian Herr and Matt Zettek) with a vote of 5 to 0. This SOI was also approved unanimously by the School Committee. The School Committee identified the Center School as its priority SOI per a directive from the MSBA in August 2007. 
• Read about what five final options (from the original 13 options) were evaluated in detail during the Center School Feasibility Study, their estimated costs and why they were ruled out as not being preferred options. http://hopkinton.k12.ma.us/newweb2/HESBC/5FSOptionsMatrix.pdf